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Last Thursday night, the CrossFit Opens Games began. What does this mean?? It means that crossfit athletes across the world are competing against each other to see how they rank, even among the professionals. Each week, for five weeks a WOD will be posted for everyone to do. You have until Monday at 5pm of the following week to have a qualifying crossfit judge judge you doing this WOD. Time and scores are submitted and you are ranked. There are several divisions, age groups, and now even scaled divisions. I, unfortunately, fall in the most competitive group…..under 40years old and doing WODs prescribed (Rx’ed). RX’ed or “prescribed” simply means you are not scaling the working out in any means (not using less weight, doing less reps, or subbing out movements). Other divisions are teens, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, male/female.

I debated on whether I actually wanted to sign up to compete. I knew I was going to do these WODS with my box, but really didn’t care to know where I rank among the very best. I know I will be just another number….and it’s too much of a humbling experience, maybe!?!? LOL. But my coaches convinced me to do it anyhow.

**I will be 100% honest with you. I know that I can sometimes be hard on myself if I don’t do well at something that “counts”. This is a fact about me in any competition, Crossfit or not. I tend to beat myself up when I screw up or mess up! And I hate that kind of pressure.****

The WOD was a two part WOD that went back to back:

PART ONE: 15 Toes to Bar, 10 Deadlifts, and 5 Power Snatches (75#)—as many round of this as you can for 9mins (as fast as you can, too).

PART TWO: Find your max clean and jerk immediately after Part One is done but you have six minutes to do this. This also includes adjusting your weights and bar, while trying to catch your breath from part one.

I was super worried about the toes to bar. To do 15 of those suckers would be taxing. And I am not fluid yet on cycling them. I can cycle them but it really can wear me out, as I have just learned how to cycle these without kipping. I was not worried about the deadlifts or snatches as this weight is super easy for me.

As for the Clean and Jerk. I was pumped about this one. I have been working hard on my clean and just recently got a new PR of 160 on a clean last week. I can push press 140 so I knew going in that my previous one rep max of 145 was about to get higher. READY for that lift!!!!

So I begin Part One—-my goal was to get three rounds. I was shocked when I got over 4 rounds. (4.5 rounds to be exact). So when I was done with this part (even though my hands were hurting due to tearing from gripping the pull up bar), I was super stoked and feeling like I was doing AWESOME….and I was doing awesome, at least for me I was! PART TWO immediately begins. I load my bar with my previous PR (personal record) of 145#. I clean and jerk it with NO PROBLEM! #BOOM #FEELINGSTRONG. Because I felt good and my adrenaline was flowing, I decide to put on 155#. I attempted it ONCE…and failed. Not by much, but by a little. So I got a little nervous and decided to deload to 157 because I knew that I could pull that with no problem. I go to deload one side of my bar and realize that the 2.5# plates that I had out were not where I placed them. I immediately go into a little panic. I find them, as someone is taking them off their bar. I quickly load my bar. I step back and double check my plates and all seems good. I had plenty of time so I go to clean it and suddenly realize I am totally lopsided. *****I HAD FORGOTTEN TO DELOAD THE OTHER SIDE OF MY BAR! Apparently when I went to search for my 2.5# plates, I only unloaded one side of my bar and not the other. Not good. I had 20 seconds left on the clock and had no time to get the lift in. I was stunned with disappointed, disbelief, the feeling of failing, and even fighting back some tears. I can’t even begin to stress how I felt. HEARTBROKEN!!!

Clean and Jerk—last summer at Solus Competition

I left the gym feeling so saddened. And I am still working through the emotions of it still. I wanted to record my BEST and I felt like I didn’t show my best when it came to the clean and jerk lift. This is probably one of my biggest struggles, and had always been, that I beat myself up on things when I feel like I have failed myself or someone else. I tend to beat myself up over things that really don’t matter. The fact though, is that it DOES MATTER to me. I want to show my best. And I didn’t!!!

This has eaten at me for 24hours. I keep thinking…..”I should have been better prepared with my plates.” “I should have never put 155# on after my first lift.” “I should have started with the 2.5 plates first.” UGH!!!! All the should have beens and could have beens.

Does my time, score, or lift really even matter? No, not really. I am just a number or ranking among thousands of athletes.

The good news out of all of this….is that if I was in the 40yrs old division (just 6months away), I would have been ranked right up there!

Wonder what week #2 WOD will bring??? Please no Double Under jump roping.